Extreme test: the 300 hp Cupra Leon TSI at the Nürburgring

March 4, 2014, Seat stand at the Geneva Motor Show. Next to the new Leon Cupra 280 hp, the driver Jordi Gené announces that he has completed a northern loop lap of the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 58 seconds, almost 10 seconds less than the fastest production traction at the time, the Mégane 3 RS Trophy. A time which certainly required the presence of an optional pack (with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, increased front brakes and air conditioning removed) but which definitely imposed the respect of the public… and of the rivals.

We are seven years later and the landscape has changed a lot. If some compact cars continue to fall apart on the German toboggan, they take the full brunt of the severe ecological penalties and must now adapt to them. Under its new Cupra brand, the latest generation of Leon thus inaugurates two plug-in hybrid versions V and VZ of 204 hp or 245 hp (with bonus of € 1,000 please!), But also a similar petrol V of 245 hp to the cousin Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI. One way to limit the penalty to € 1,900, or € 1,650 less than that of his majesty Leon VZ petrol. A cutting-edge variation powered by the 2.0 TSI of 300 hp and obviously retained for our extreme test. On the way !

Engine: 17/20

The engine at a glance. Is it only necessary to present the stainless 2.0 TSI from the Volkswagen Group? He was already driving the previous Seat Leon Cupra and successively developed 280 hp, 290 hp, 300 hp and then 290 hp again in an attempt to limit the increasingly severe penalties over the years. The new Cupra Leon goes back to 300 hp, or even 310 hp in the Sportstourer 4Drive version, the only body that can adopt all-wheel drive.

Our opinion. A little disappointed by the smooth character of the last Volkswagen Golf R (although increased to 320 hp!), We took the wheel of the new Cupra Leon 300 hp with some concerns. False fear. The lower weight of 60 kg, the artificial sound better worked in Cupra mode (which almost evokes – it has been said almost – certain accents of a five-cylinder block) and the more audible breath of the turbo are enough to generate better sensations, always sympathetic to the steering wheel of this compact very lively in the first reports.

As in Golf R to enjoy better responsiveness, do not hesitate to select the most radical driving modes (Sport or Cupra) or, better, the Individual program, which allows you to isolate the engine setting from that. from the gearbox or from the piloted suspension. No need to destroy your vertebrae if you want the most aggressive engine mapping! After an effective takeoff under Launch Control, the new Cupra Leon quickly stumbles on its electronic limiter set at 250 km / h chrono, or 267 km / h on the odometer. It could do much better but it does not have, unlike the Golf, the famous R-Performance pack allowing to shift this bridle to 270 km / h (i.e. 289 km / h on the odometer, review our Golf R acceleration video). In the Volkswagen group, the hierarchy remains …

Box: 14/20

The box in brief. Abandoned at the end of the previous generation’s career, the six-speed manual transmission has not resuscitated on this one. The current Leon renews the DSG dual-clutch and seven-speed gearbox that appeared on the old Leon Cupra when it returned to 290 hp (it had six reports on the first versions 280 hp, 290 hp and 300 hp). You follow ?

Our opinion. Unchanged, the standard DSG box logically recovers its qualities and faults. On the stack side, it shows a nice speed when upshifting, eliminates any break in load for the benefit of performance and has a “multiple downshift” mode, like the Alpine A110, which downshifts as many gears as possible. if you keep the left paddle down.

On the front side, the gearbox shifts itself up into Manual mode once it reaches 6500 rpm, often at the same time as the driver (in this case, fortunately, it does not skip two gears in a row. suddenly like the first DSG boxes). Long upper gears and always caricatured management in Auto mode (very early gear changes in Normal mode, then sometimes too late in Cupra mode even if the accelerator is not fully depressed) also come back intact … It’s a shame because , with more appropriate electronic laws, this transmission could become a reference.

Chassis: 16/20

The chassis at a glance. No more “record” pack on this generation of Leon, which requires four road profile tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport. It still retains the efficient electronically controlled front differential (standard, even on the 245 hp 100% thermal version), but also the adaptive suspension (this time optional in 245 hp) and the multi-link rear axle. As in the classic Seat Leon, the damping now has fifteen different notches of firmness, selectable via the touchscreen in Individual driving mode.

Our opinion. Very precise steering, incisive front axle, cooperative rear axle entering a bend… The first windings behind the wheel of the new Cupra Leon promise a rather playful turn of the north loop. That cheerful balance doesn’t fade as the pace increases, to the point of getting slightly rough, ESP unplugged, in the Nürburgring’s fastest, bumpy corners. In question ? Tires already slightly worn on our test model and above all, a very firm suspension in Cupra mode. A setting that is certainly ideal for curbing body movements on a perfectly smooth track, but less relevant for dealing with the particular profile of a circuit that is very distorted in places. A point that did not suffer the cousin Golf 8 R, precisely endowed with a Special mode (dedicated to the Nürburgring) adapting the damping accordingly …

Nothing prohibitive: it will undoubtedly suffice to “manually” soften the suspension controlled by means of the touch screen. Unfortunately, we will not be able to share with you the best of the fifteen positions available here: fifteen laps of the north loop representing more than 300 km of track, we will have to come back! Conversely, this limit highlighted the effectiveness of the controlled differential, which ensured flawless traction on dry ground despite frequent shedding of the front wheels in the most bumpy bends. There is no doubt that the Cupra Leon will become formidable once it has found the right damping setting and the tires more suitable for circuit use.

Braking: – / 20

Braking in brief. As standard, the 300 hp Cupra Leon VZ comes with ventilated front discs 340 mm in diameter and “simple” floating calipers. A € 2,360 option improves matters by inviting drilled 370mm-diameter discs, pinched by fixed Brembo four-piston calipers. Equipment unfortunately absent from our test Leon.

Our opinion. It is difficult to criticize the standard braking system, which is logically unsuitable for track use. It is for this reason that we have not marked this chapter. We can already advise riders to check the Brembo option, because the original equipment immediately proved insufficient: average bite, limited endurance, pedal more and more sluggish over slowing down despite the new electric brake booster. In short, nothing reassuring on this fast track lined with rails, which forced us to anticipate most of the braking compared to our usual benchmarks. To make matters worse, these new braking points sometimes came to “bad” places, in particular on bumps which woke up the ABS and further lengthened the slowing distances… To be retested with the appropriate option.

Find the test report, the technical sheet and the prices-equipment-options detailed on the next page …